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Michael Cheika set to face off against Wallabies successor Dave Rennie after joining Rugby Championship rivals
By AAP
In a spicy Rugby Championship subplot, Michael Cheika will try to bring about the downfall of his Wallabies successor Dave Rennie as part of Argentina’s coaching staff when they arrive for the November tournament.
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Rennie will coach Australia for the first time in next month’s two-test tour of New Zealand after Cheika stepped away following last year’s World Cup quarter-final exit.
He has since worked as a consultant with the NRL’s Sydney Roosters but will join former Australian assistant-turned Los Pumas head coach Mario Ledesma.
Ledesma said he had proposed the plan earlier this year and was met with immediate interest, the former Wallabies coach since helping with logistics and tactical advice ahead of their visit.
“We agreed from the first moment … he always liked Argentine rugby a lot,” Ledesma said.
“It is an excellent opportunity to continue learning all because he is a person who thinks a lot about things outside the box, who has an innovative and super creative vision, different from that of many coaches that I’ve come across.”
Argentina are set to face Australia in the third and fourth round of the tournament in Sydney and Newcastle.
SANZAAR remains confident the tournament will proceed despite New Zealand Rugby chief executive Mark Robinson saying the All Blacks “hadn’t agreed” to the six-week schedule released on Thursday.
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